UConn's Caroline Doty making most of new, reduced role

Connecticut guard Caroline Doty (5) during the second half of an NCAA women's college basketball game against South Florida, March 2, 2013. (Chris O'Meara)

STORRS — The fiery disposition that has helped Caroline Doty make herself into a four-year starter at one of the nation's preeminent women's basketball program was also in danger of being her undoing.

When Doty is on the court for the third-ranked UConn women's basketball team, it's a foregone conclusion that she will dive headlong after every loose ball, be in position to draw a timely offensive foul and make the unselfish pass to an open teammate. However, it is the time when she is not on the court where things can be a tad bit challenging for somebody as competitive as Doty.

She has had plenty of heart to heart conversations with UConn coach Geno Auriemma, another high-strung product of the aggressive Philadelphia basketball culture, about the importance of being a positive role model to the younger UConn players regardless of her situation she found herself in during her final collegiate season.

So when Doty played just four minutes in the Big East semifinal victory over Syracuse, Doty did everything she could to exude positive body language on the bench even if every fiber of her body was longing for the chance to be onto the court. When she didn't get in at all in a loss to Notre Dame in the Big East title game the following night, Doty knew this was not the time to be feeling sorry for herself.

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"It is hard there have been ups and downs but at the end of the day you just have to trust Coach (Auriemma),' Doty said. "He's been down this road before many, many times and he knows what he is doing.'

Doty sat out her entire senior season at Germantown Academy due to a torn ACL, lost the second half of her freshman season at UConn and missed the entire 2010-11 campaign due to two more ACL tears.

While she is healthy this season or as healthy as she will ever be, the multiple surgeries have made it difficult for Doty to play at the level that she once competed at. After starting in 26 of the first 28 games of the season, she lost her starting spot with two games left in the regular season.

"I can't let it show,' Doty said. "I have a tendency to let it show because I am very emotional person and player so I will catch myself sometimes. The coaches are hard on me about showing that emotional side of me. I have to snap out of it and do be a mature player and know this is the last (run) and I don't want any regrets.

"I don't want it to end; this is something I want to be a part of. Next year I will probably be in my apartment or wherever I am at home watching it not as an athlete or not as a part of the team so being a part of the team and being part of March Madness is special.'

Doty has had moments of brilliance this season. She flirted with a triple-double before finishing with 14 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists and four steals in a Dec. 31 game at Oregon. In a Feb. 10 contest against Marquette she made all four of her 3-point shots and has four games with at least five assists. But in 12 games against ranked opponents this season she failed to make a basket in seven of them.
Still, she is the only who fires up her teammates in the huddle just before the opening tip in each game and the player who tries to set the tone during practice.

"I think she has handled it really well,' UConn junior guard Bria Hartley said. "It is unfortunate to see Caroline go through injuries because there are some things that physically she can't do but emotionally and mentally she is there and is able to talk to us on the sidelines. I know when I came off and to the sidelines during the Notre Dame game; I was talking to Caroline on the bench. It is good to have somebody like that. She is really focusing and she is a good leader in that way where she keeps us focused and talks to us

"It is her last year and she really wants to win. She will do anything for us to win whether she is out there on the floor or if she is not, she is going to help us win because even if she is not on the floor she has definitely contributed a lot to this program.'

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